Bryant Gumbel and his estranged wife, June, had a tense face-off in court yesterday as they attempted to hammer out a preliminary divorce agreement.

The warring pair — she’s charged he’s a “serial adulterer” — and their lawyers met behind closed doors as Gumbel attempted to convince a judge he should have equal access to his northern Westchester home.

That would allow him to brazenly parade his blond girlfriend, Hilary Quinlan, in front of his wife and kids, who now live there.

As the hearing began in White Plains Superior Court, the $5-million-a-year host of CBS’s “Early Show” looked uncomfortable as he sat a mere 15 feet from his wife of 26 years.

He carefully avoided her glances and stuck to quietly chatting with his lawyer, Stanley Arkin.

June — who yesterday told The Post’s Andrea Peyser that Gumbel had “shot me through the heart” by two-timing her since Day One of their marriage — seemed pensive.

Her lawyer, Barry Slotnick, told The Post:

“To Mr. Gumbel, it’s very important to bring his paramour around with his children around.”

He called Gumbel’s motion to share the house “a false issue” made “to upset his wife” and as “a litigation tactic.”

After a short meeting in open court, which was packed with reporters, both sides retired to Judge John LaCava’s chambers to negotiate.

The judge will rule next week on Gumbel’s request for access to the house. LaCava will also tell the talk-show host what he must shell out in support for the couple’s 16-year-old daughter and 21-year-old son until the bitter divorce is finalized.

Arkin declined to say if any progress was made in yesterday’s sitdown, but slammed June’s tell-all interview in The Post, calling it “a nasty attack.”